Dear Parents and Carers, 

Thank you for your cooperation and understanding over the past few days as we have had to put alternative plans into place whilst the hall and main entry point is out of action. Thank you for following the one way system which has allowed for a smooth flow of traffic around the building. 

Over the last two weeks there have been some wonderful enrichment opportunities provided for the children which have ensured that the learning has been brought to life and enabled them to develop confidence and character. Last week it was Children's Mental Health Week and there was lots happening in school in order to continue to raise awareness around this important topic. Thank you to Mrs Hartley who delivered an assembly around this and spoke to the children to develop their understanding of this important topic. We have raised a total of £230 for CHUMS through our Shine Bright Wear Bright non uniform day. 

This week the children in LKS2 were fully immersed into the Italian culture and traditions for Italy day. Our social media posts capture this day beautifully, it was a a great way to pull together lots of their learning. We were disappointed to have to reschedule our whole school Music Technology day, due to the hall being out of action which was due to take place today. Mrs White has worked really hard to make this a day to remember so we are eagerly awaiting for this event next half term. 

Yesterday I was delighted to receive a front row seat for the Chiltern Learning Trust Busking event hosted by Denbigh High School. Our children were the only primary school in attendance but they did not let that stop them from putting on an extremely polished and engaging performance; their confidence and overall performance was a joy to watch and brought tears to my eyes. Huge thanks to the parents and carers that came and supported this event and ensured they were able to collect their child after.  Last but not least, big thanks to the incredible Miss Slough and Miss Spokes who have been rehearsing with our choir in school to ensure they were performance ready and have continued to nurture such great talent.

It was been lovely to welcome parents and carers into school last week for Macaws class assembly. The children spoke so well about their learning and it was fantastic to see this showcased for parents; well done everyone! 

As a school we were delighted to receive such overwhelmingly positive feedback from our annual safeguarding audit and Quality Development Review both of which took place last week. The reviews showcased the outstanding safeguarding culture that is present at Lark Rise and the drive to support all children as a key priority which was consistent amongst the whole staff team and driven expertly by Mrs Waterman. The review team were equally impressed with the quality of our curriculum with focus subjects of Reading, Maths and History and were particularly struck by the consistent approach to high quality teaching and learning that the children receive. I am beyond proud of the staff for their relentless hard work to ensure all children can reach their full potential. Congratulations also to Mrs Waterman, Mrs Francis, Miss Hazell and Mrs Tree who demonstrated outstanding leadership throughout these reviews. 

Finally, we are looking forward to seeing all of our Year 6 children in school after half term at the slightly earlier start time of 8:30am in the run up to their Statutory Assessment Tests. The gates will open at 8:25am for a prompt 8:30am start in the classroom. 

I hope that you all get to spend some time over half term with your families and I look forward to seeing you all back in school on Monday 24th February. 

Mrs Romina Lang

Headteacher